Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-04-22

Munchrath since 1 was arrested. I had seen
Harry Sherman, but never knew him. at the
time of the murder. I did not know Trleber
to speak to him then. I knew Henry Peters,
the beer driver, as he delivered beer to me;
that is all. I didn't know Plath at that time.
At the English Kitchen I took a glass of beer
with Hart, and we stayed their perhaps five
minutes. Hart invited me to 60 with him
down the street. Ihad a suit of clothes on a
good deal the same as I have now dark suit,
1 had no rubber coat on, and 1 had small
straw hat
Witness was shown the dilapidated hat
back yard.
Witness, continuing: 1t doesn't look much
like the hat when I q it The color and the
braid are the same. The rim was about that
wide [indicatingl. That is my hat. am pretty
sure.
Here O'Connell placed the hat on witnesses
head, and it seemed to sit far up on the top of
his head, as if it were too small.
Witness, continuing: 1 had an umbrella;
went to Johnny. orton's saloon. I invited him
in and l got Il cigar and him q glass of beer.
We stayed there about ten minutes, I think,
and then went down to Junk's saloon. Hart
was with me. AS we came into Junk's front
room Arensdorf, Scollard and Grady were
standing to the left and a crowd of men were
standing to the right of the room. Arensdorf
was towards the front and the crowd towards
the rear. Leavitt was there with five or
SIh otuCISc GtSulluS III d SlOup. L liz y IcCOS-
nize the others with Leavitt. Hart and 1 went
back into the rear room. We remained in
Junk's place probably five or six minutes-a
few minutes. Arensdorf had a dark suit on
the usual suit that he wore-a navy blue suit:
a sack coat, with pants i'll his boots. This $
the hat that Leavitt had on.
The hat shown the witness was q gray
Derby.
Witness lines continuing: Yes, sir, Examining
long rubber coat and light pants. Leavitt and
luis group all went out together, i'll a hurry. L
was not with the crowd that went out. Hart
and l went ont Il second or two after I.eavitt
and his crowd went. l am almost positive
Hartand went out. Leavitt and hi crowd
went west on the south side of Fourti. street.
Hart and ! followed them about one hundred
or more feet behind. I didn't know where
do. 1 had no talk with Leavitt in the saloon
or anywhere else. When We caught up with
them Lcavittss crowd was standing by the high
board fence on the corner of Fourth and
Water streets. AS we walked by Leavitt
icrke,d off this straw haiti it is the one-and
put this hat 1.-THE gray Derbyl on my head:
Leavitt said: That's all right; Ill return
it to you i'll the morning." We-Hart and l.
walked on and turned the corner and had gons
sixty or seventy feet south on the east side Of
Water street, when l heard the report of a
gun-a revolver. i looked around. There
were two mcn standing in the street near the
corner. One was staggering and the other was
| had also q low crowned hat. / think that man
was H. I. Leavitt who did the shooting. He
ran north towards the blacksmith shop on
Water street. We then walked on down Water
to Third street, then east on Third street to
Nebraska street, and from there on Nebraska
street to the Milwaukee house. It was prob
ably l0:40 O'Clock when we got to the Mil
waukee house. Hart was with me when the
shot was fired He was with me all the time.
was not with me at the corner Or elsewhere
that night. did not see John Arensdorf in
that crowd with Leavitt Idon't think he was
who fired the shot am positive of that. I
know John Arensdorf we'll. The coat the man
had on wasa rubber coat. l think it was. 1
couldn't tell exactly when 1 reached the Mil
Pacific tram had not got in at that time The
train was due at 1880 p. M. The hotel is
about 800 feet from where the train stops.
There are no buildings between the Milwau-
kee house and where the train stops.
Leavitt never returned my hat. I nave kept
Lsavitts hat ever since. I identify this hat
1.-THE gray Derby hail as the one Leavitt put
on my head that night as we passed the
crowd just before the murder. Twas at no
secret meeting of saloonkeepers on the night
of August 2 last l was not present at any
meeting of saloonkeepers that night. I be-
lieve there was q saloonkeepers' union at That
time. Well, the salooDkeepers met several
times in Holdenreid's Hall. I attended only
one of. these meetings. didn't understand
that there was any organization effected. When
1 was there there was nothing said about whip
ping or injuring Haddock or anybody else. I
never knew of any such thing being intended
or talked about
Cross-examlnaion by State: My wife is a
cousin of John Arensdorf. 1 am now under
to Sioux City in the fall of
Grady and Scollard were in the front room
when Hart and l went into Junk's saloon. We
went right through to the back room. I don't
know who were in the crowd with Leavitt-not
a single one of them; l may have known some
of them, but Ibid not pay any attention to
them; Arensdorf was on the left sid as we
entered; 1 know q man by the name of ]. S.
Browning; never told him that we walked
rapidly after the crowd that left Junk's saloon.
I did not tell Browning that on the night of
the murder I tloughtit was intended only to
pound or whip Haddock. I did not say to
Browning that l heard of the intention to whip
Haddock, and that / watched the proceeding
from an independent position of my own.
Robert McAllister %testifes: I was called as
o witness for the State and testified several
days ago. Tn night of the murder I was
looking out of g window of the Columbia
House. just after the shot was fired, I looked
out and saw two men at the east end of the
Perry creek bridge. They were on the south
side of the bridge. They werenot, in the road
way.
Adjourned to $3.50 in the morning.